Posted on 01/23/2024 10:16:48 AM PST by Kriggerel
German music producer Frank Farian - founder of the disco band Boney M - has died at the age of 82, according to his family.
They released a statement on Tuesday via Farian's agency saying he had passed away at his home in Miami. Boney M, which formed in 1976, had a string of hit singles including Daddy Cool, Rasputin and Rivers of Babylon. Farian also went on to found the duo Milli Vanilli, who were involved in a lip-synching controversy.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
I can’t be the only person who has never heard of this group.
me either and I feel like I have a good handle on most genres of music, admittedly, disco isn’t in my top tier.
Nope you are the only one :)
I just learned about thia group last year. Rasputin is an amazing song.
I never heard of him either, but maybe his fame was centered in Europe. After 99 Luft Ballons, I’m limited on knowledge of euro pop. I do know that I like the quasi-disco heard from Swedish quartet named Ace of Base. Mostly active in the 1990’s. Two well known hits are;
A. All She Really Wants (is another Baby!).
B. I Saw The Sign.
Fun to hear, and well produced.
Have you heard Rivers of Babylon ?
watch it once on You Tube, with the gold headdress and it will be in your brain for evaaaaaah!!!
like a billion views.
Brown Girl in the Ring, made popular by the movie Touching the Void
For Swedish groups that charted globally, before Ace of Base there was Roxette, and before them ABBA.
But you’re right about Boney M, they’re German, and never charted in the USA. I keep seeing them come up in “Best of the 70s” compilations on YouTube by stupid Gen Z/Millenials who don’t use the right charts.
Skinny as as stick of...?
Ra-ra-rasputin, Lover of the Russian Queen...
Boney M was on the fringes of music in the USA back in the 1970’s.
But “Rivers of Babylon” was a good song its lyrics are the Bible.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jSxQJUv1e8k
It got up to 27 on the charts in this country.
“Farian also went on to found the duo Milli Vanilli, who were involved in a lip-synching controversy.”
“who were involved”? Farian was the one behind the lip-syncing and mandated it with Boney M first and later with Milli Vanelli. The artists weren’t allowed to sing. They were not on the records and not even capable of really doing those songs well. Farian just liked their looks.
Why? Farian used himself and studio singers to sing and play the instruments for those tracks. Farian himself was the voice behind Boney M. Farian also hired studio musicians and singers for both bands. Boney M and Milli Vanelli only served as the performing face. Farian manufactured an image that brought in many millions mainly to Farian.
Much worse than the Monkees who did tour and perform.
I still have “Rivers of Babylon” on 45 rpm from 1978. A nice tune with lyrics based on Psalm 137.
“Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight here tonight.”
The bridge of that song came from Psalm 19:14.
Boney M - By the River of Babylon. catchy tune. Topical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3QxT-w3WMo
Farian was also the driving talent behind a short-lived group named Far Corporation. They recorded the best studio cover of Led Zeppelin’s classic Stairway to Heaven yet produced. The extended version is classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO066OFUuNQ
“Rasputin is an amazing song.”
I agree. I came across it about a year ago. My wife (of 40 years) heard me playing it a bunch of times, and came into my study to look at the video. She yelled “What the heck is that???” Haha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16y1AkoZkmQ
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